Roller-carriage.



E. P. JENNINGSQJR.

ROLLER CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY4.1914.

Patented J 11110 8, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

Em anon P. Jamming s Tn,

V "fin-=1: PETERS co.. PHOTO-LITHCL, WASHINGT E. P. JENNINGS, JR.

ROLLER CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4. 1914.

Patented June 8,1915.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E'mer'sonl? Jenhinqain,

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTO LITHOH WASHINGTON, D. C."

ROLLER-CARRIAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1915.

Application filed May 4, 1914. Serial No. 836,086.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMERSON P. JEN' NINGS,J11, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lehi hton, in thecounty of Carbon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Roller-Carriages, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.-

This invention relates to roller-carriages and is designed moreparticularly for use in connection with inking rollers for printingpresses.

In certain types of presses the inking roll-. ers revolve about aninking drum and formbed and are yieldingly mounted to permit them toaccommodate themselves to the varying radii ofthe different parts of theform-bed and drum. To this end the rollers have radial movementand arepressed inwardly by springs. If the rollers are revolved about the drumand form-bed at a high rate of speed they are subjected to a very strongoutward thrust due to centrifugal force and they will not properlyengage and ink the form carried by the form-bed.

It is not practical to overcome the centrifugal force by the use ofstronger sprlngs because the space lIiWlllCll the springs may be mountedis so limited that a long spring cannot be used and if a stifi shortspring is used it has not sufficient'flexibility to provide asatisfactory operation. Inasmuch as it is necessary that the ink rollersengage the form once for each impression that is taken from the form itwill be obvious that the speed of the press and the number of1mpressions taken in a given time Wlll be in direct ratio to the speedat which the inking rollers revolve, and as a result of the outwardthrust upon the rollers, as aboveexplained, the speed of the press inpractical operation is, in fact, limlted.

The object of the present invention is to provide a roller-carriageconstruction which will enable such presses to be operated at anincreased rate of speed. To this end it is a further object of theinvention, first to provide a roller-carriage construct on which willpermit the number of impressions to be increased relatively to the speedof the roller-carriage and, second, to provide a roller-carriageconstruction which be operated at a higher rateof speed withoutincreasing the outward thrust upon the inking rollers.

. of the structure shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4

is a detail view of one of the wheels for the inking roller.

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention andhave shown the same as applied to a printing press of a knownconstruction and compris ing a main frame consisting of side walls, 1,having mounted therein a normally fixed platen 2.. A combined form-bed 3and ink ing drum 4 aremounted in the main frame of the press for'inovementto-ward and away from the platen, this being accomplishedpreferably by supporting the ends of the V drum in slide blocks 5mounted in the respec tive side members. The slide blocks are actuatedin unison by means of pitmen 6 secured to wrist pins 7 mounted ondriving gears 8 arranged on the opposite sides of the press and drivenfrom a shaft 9 which is connected with a suitable source of power. A webof paper 10 is drawn over the platen by means of suitable feedingmechanism 11. Fig. 1 of the drawings is a sectionalview taken justinside of one of the frame members and it will be understood that theslide block Sand those parts cooperating therewith are duplicated on theother side of the press, which is not shown. It will be furtherunderstood that this particular type of press is chosen for the purposeof illustration only and that the invention is appli cable to presses ofother kinds.

The inking rollers which take the ink from the inking drum and apply thesame to the form are, of course, mounted to move .with the combinedinking drum and formbed and, to this end, the roller-carriages arerevolubly mounted upon reduced portions or trunnions'12 provided at theopposite ends of the drum. Each carriage comprises a bearing ring orcollar 13 rotatably mounted on the respective trunnions and havingsecured thereto a sprocket wheel 1a which is actuated by asprocket chain15 passing over a sprocket wheel 16 eccentrically mounted on the shaft17 ofjthe gears 8. The eccentricity o'f the sprocket wheel 16 causes thechain 15 to be maintained taut during the reciprocatory movement of thecombined inking drum and form-bed. The bearing 13 of eachroller-carriage is provided on its opposite sides with segmental or fanshaped plates 18, each of wnich has mounted thereon a series of inkingrollers 19 which are capable of radial movement. There being two sets ofinking rollers it will be obvious that the rotation of theroller-carriage will cause the form to be inked twice for eachrevolution of the roller-carriage. Consequently, by properly timing themovement of the roller-carriage with respect to the movement of theform-bed, the form-bed can be caused to move at twice the speed of theroller-carriage and the number of im pressions taken can be doubledwithout increasing the speed of the roller carriage. The segmentalplates 18 may be connected with the bearing portions 13 in any suitablemanner but they are preferably cast integral therewith so that theplates and bearing ring constitute a single structure or sup portingframe.

The inking rollers may be mounted upon the segmental plates 18 in anysuitable manner. Preferably these plates are provided with a series ofradial slots 20 in which are slidably mounted bearing blocks 21, eachbearing block being provided with a bearing in which is mounted one endof the respective roller. The inking roller, bearing block and thecooperating parts are all constructed with a view to making them aslight as possible, thereby reducing the outward thrust imposed thereonby centrifugal force when the roller-carriage is revolved at a givenspeed. To this end the bearing block 21 comprises an elongated block ofmetal. The block is provided with a longitudinal recess 22 which notonly reduces its weight but provides a socket for a spring 23 which isconfined between the bearing block and a stop arranged at the outer endof the slot 20 in which the block is mounted, thereby enabling a springof the greatest possible length to be used. In addition to making thebearing block hollow it is also made of a metal of very light weight andfor this purpose 1 preferably employ an aluminum compound, such as thatknown as alzine. The bearing block, in addition to the hollow bodyportion, comprises a bracket 24 rigidly secured to the body portion,preferably by casting the same integral therewith, and having its endarranged alongside of and spaced away from the body portion. The end ofthe bracket is provided with an open bearing 25 which has a hard metalbushing 26. This open bearing is adapted to receive a trunnion 27forming a part of one of the inking rollers. The inking rollers comprisebodies of the usual composition mounted upon metallic cores 28. Eachcore comprises a cylindrical body portion of light Weight material, suchas alzine, which is hollow and consequently of very light weight. Theend portions are reinforced with hard metal to support the trunnion 27.To this end each trunnion 27 is formed separately from the body portionof the core and is made of hard metal with a bushing 29 adapted to enterand to be firmly secured within the end of the hollow body portion 28 ofthe core. The bushing 29 is separated from the trunnion 27 by a disk 30,the diameter of which corresponds to the diameter of the body portion 28of the core and when the core is in its completed condition this diskforms the end of the core proper. The springs which are provided forholding the rollers in en gagement with the face of the form necessarilyexert a considerable pressure on the bearing block while the rollers arepassing over the inking drum. To relieve the rollers of this pressurewhich would tend to distort the same, the trunnions 7 are projected beyond the bearings 25 and have mounted thereon wheels 31, which wheelsare arranged between the bracket 2% and the body of the bearing blockand travel over tracks arranged at the opposite ends of and moving withthe form-bed and ink drums. In the present instance, the extended endportions of the drum and form-bed constitute this track. These wheelsare also formed of light weight material, such as alzine, and in orderthat they may have the necessary wearing qualities the wearing surfacesthereof are reinforced with hard metal. In the present arrangement thecentral opening in each wheel is provided with a hard metal bushing 32having a hexagonal opening to receive the end of the trunnion 27. Theperiphery of each wheel. is also provided with a hard metal tread 33which will have the necessary wearing qualities. To prevent theaccidental displacement of the rollers with reference to the openbearing 25 I have provided retaining devices which are mounted on thebearing blocks and engage the trun nions of the rollers to retain themin the proper position within their bearings, but which can be readilymanipulated to release the rollers to remove the same. In the pres entinstance this device comprises a hooklike catch 34: pivotally mounted onthe bracket 24 and adapted to extend about the trunnion 27 of theroller. The catch is provided with a handle by means of which it may bemanipulated and this handle is preferably of resilient material and isso shaped and arranged asto yieldingly engage the surface of thebracket, and to exert a pressure thereon sufiicient to retain the catchin engagement Withthe trunnion. This catch is of thin material and doesnot add materially to the weight of the bearing bracket.

The operation of the roller-carriage and the various parts thereof willbe readily understood from the foregoing description and it will beapparent that when the car riage is constructed as herein described twoimpressions may be made for each complete revolution of theroller-carriage and that the. roller-carriage may be revolved at acomparatively high rate of speed without causing an outward thrust to beexerted upon the rollers sufficient to interfere with their properengagement with the form on the form-bed. Consequently, the number ofimpressions which may be taken may be very materially increased. Inactual practice the first embodiment of the invention-in aroller-carriage having a single set of inking rollers resulted in anincrease of not less than 25 per cent. in the number of impressions. i I

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention it willbe understood that this has been chosen for the purpose ofillustrationonly, and that I do do not desire to be limited to thedetails of construction shown and described, for obvious modificationswill occur to a persion skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a combined inhing drum and form-bed, saidstructure having a circumferential portion constituting a. track, of acarriage mounted to revolve about said inking drum-and form-bed andhaving a radial guideway, a bearing block slidably mounted in saidguideway and comprising a body portion and a bracket spaced away irom'said bodyportion and provided with an open bearing, a roller having atrunnion journaled in said bearing, a wheel mounted on said trunnionbetween said body portion and said bracket and adapted to travel oversaid track, and meansicarried by said bearing block to retain saidtrunnion in said open bearing.

The combination, with a combined inking drum and form-bed, saidstructure having a circumferential portion constituting a track, of acarriage mounted to revolve about said inking drum and form-bed andhaving a radial guideway, a bearing block slidably mounted in saidguideway and comprising a body portion and a bracket spaced away fromsaid body portion and provided with an open bearing, a roller having atrunnion journaled in said bearing, a wheel mounted on said trunnionbetween said body portion and said bracket and adapted to travel oversaid-track, and a hook-shaped catch mounted on said bracket to en agesaid trunnion and retain the same in said open bearing. 7

8. The combination, with a combined ink ing drum and form-bed, saidstructure havtrack, or" a carriage mounted to revolve aboutsaidinkingdrum and form-bed and having a radial guideway, a bearingblock slidably mounted in said guideway and havinga bearing, an inkroller comprising a core having a trunnion journale'd in said bearing,and a wheel secured to said roller and adapted toftravel over saidtrack, said bearing block, core andwheel being formed of light weightmetal with hard metal bear-r ing surfaces, whereby the outward thrustonsaidparts due, to centrifugal force is reduced. p c v 41-. Thecombination, with acombined inking drum and form-bed, saidstructure'having a circumferential portion constituting a track, of acarriage mounted to revolve about said track, a series of bearing blocksslidably mounted on said carriage, each bearing block comprising ahollow body portion of light weight material, said hole low body portionbeing adapted to receive a spring, a bracket carried by said bodyportion and having a bearing, an inking roller comprising a hollow coreof light weight-material, and a trunnion of hard metal secured to theend of said hollow core 'and journaled in said bracket, and a wheel orlight weight metal having a hard metal tread secured to said trunnionand adapted to travel ov r said track.

* '5. The combination, with an inking drum I and form bed, saidstructure having a por tion constituting a track, of a carriage mountedto revolve about this track, a series of bearingblocks slidably mountedon said carriage, each bearing block comprising a hollow body portion oflight material, said hollow body portion being adapted to receive aspring, said bearing block having a bearing, an ink roller having atrunnion journaled in said bearing, and a wheel mounted on said trunnionand adaptedto travel over said track.

6. The combinatio'n,-with a combined inking drum and formbed, saidstructure having a circumferential portion constituting a track, of aroller-carriage mounted to revolve about the axis of said drum, abracket of light weight metal mounted on said carriage for radialmovement vand having a bracket provided with an open bearing and spacedaway from the body portion of said bracket, an ink roller comprising ahollow .core of light weight metal, a trunnion rigidly secured to theend of said hollow core,

'journaled in said bearing and having a non- "oircular port1onpro3ectingbeyond sald bearing into the space between the bracket and the bodyportion of the bearing block, and a wheel of light weight metal mountedbetween said bracket and thev body portion of said bearing block andhaving a non-circular bushing of hard metal to receive the end of saidtrunnion and having a tread of hard metal.

; 7. The combination, with an inking drum having a trunnion at one endthereof, and a form bed, of a roller-carriage having a bearing portionjournaled on said trunnion, a slotted plate carried by said bearingportion and having the outer ends of its slots closed, slide blocksmounted in said slots and each having a body portion provided with arecess, a spring mounted in each recess and confined between said blockand the closed outer end of said slot, and inking rollers journaled inthe respective slide blocks.

8. The combination, with an inking drum having a trunnion at one endthereof, and a form-bed, of a roller carriage having a bearing portionjournaled in said trunnion and comprising oppositely extending plates,said plates being provided with substantially radial slots, slide blocksof light weight material mounted in said slots and having hardenedbearings, springs to resist the outward movement of said slide blocks,and inking rollers having cores of light weight material with hardenedtrunnions journaled in said carriage, whereby said carriage may move ata relatively lower speed than said form-bed.

9. The combination, with an inking drum having a trunnion at the endthereof and a form-bed, of a roller-carriage having a bearing portionjournaled on said trunnion, segmental plates projecting from theopposite sides of said bearing portion, each plate having a series ofslots therein, the outer ends of said slots being closed, a bearingblock slidably mounted in each of said slots and having a longitudinalrecess therein, a spring mounted in said recess and confined between thebearing block and the end of the slot, and an ink roller comprising ahollow core having a trunnion journaled on said bearing block.

10. The combination, with an inking drum and form-bed, of a carriagemounted to revolve about said inking drum and form-bed, a series ofbearing blocks of light weight material slidably mounted on saidcarriage, each block having a hardened bearing, springs to resist theoutward movement of said bearing blocks, inking rollers each having acore of light weight material with a hardened trunnion journaled in saidhardened bearings.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMERSON P. JENNINGS, JR.

Witnesses: v

P. M. GRANT, ELIZABETH B. GAssNEn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patentsa I Washington, D. G.

